In 1942, the forces of Nazi Germany and its allies came head-to-head with those of the Soviet Union at a city on the Volga. The battle of Stalingrad was to become one of the war's grimmest, as infantry troops slogged it out in bombed-out cellars and freezing conditions. In the second episode of our series on WW2's Greatest Battles, military historian James Holland tells Ellie Cawthorne more about this pivotal clash on the Eastern Front.

James Holland is the co-founder of the Chalke History Festival - which runs from 24-30 June 2024. As a media partner of the festival, we're offering an exclusive 15% off Chalke Festival day tickets when you become a subscriber to either HistoryExtra or BBC History Magazine. Check out our spring offers and benefits at www.historyextra.com/pod

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices